Great Barrier Reef future

A meeting in Cambodia this week could give clues as to whether the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland's coastline will be listed as endangered.

It's already listed as a world heritage area, but UNESCO is considering the latest information from Australian authorities on whether it's at risk.

Dr Colin Hunt is an honorary fellow in economics at the University of Queensland who has been researching and publishing on climate change, natural resource protection and ecological management for more than two decades.

He says UNESCO has recently indicated that a final decision won't be made until February 2014.

But the organisation will be considering a "report card" from Australia on the condition of the reef, and whether UNESCO is satisfied with Australia's commitment to, and progress on, Reef Rescue which addresses declining water quality.

"Queensland is still assessing the environmental impacts of new ports and the Queensland and Commonwealth governments are still working on implementing best practice in management and development of Gladstone Harbour," says Dr Hunt.

He says the flashpoint is port development.

"This is a no brainer. There should be no new ports, because they are in pristine wetlands with migratory birds."

He says when it comes to agricultural run off from cane farming, Australia can report small reductions of harmful nutrients and sediments from farms on the reef.

"But nutrient run off is still four to five times what it was pre-settlement," he warns.

Coincidentally this week, CSIRO researchers are doing an in-depth survey to look at the importance of the reef to society.

Five thousand Australians will take part in in-depth, face-to-face or phone surveys, to get a snapshot that can be updated annually, of how our "well-being" is affected by what happens to the reef.

Dr Nadine Marshall is a CSIRO social scientist who is running the social study.

"We'll be asking how they use the reef, favourite places, what values people place on the reef, how they think the reef is changing and what are the economic benefits of the reef," she says.

"Since 1975 we've monitored ecological impacts on the reef, but we haven't looked at the social dimensions of the reef before this."

Colin Hunt. honorary fellow in economics at the University of Queensland.